Station indicator



June 23, 1925. 1,543,561

H. E. EHRENFELD STATION INDIGATGR Filed May 27. 1924 2 SheetsSheet 2 j o 147 o F i-E..-

ML/ 5/ a Patented June 23, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY E. EHRENFELD, or BALTIM RE, MARYLAND.

STATION INDICATOR.

.tpplication filed May 27, 1924. Serial No. 716,284.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I'IARRY' E. EHREN- FELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Station Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact.

description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in a station or street indicator, adapted for use upon railway conveyances and has for its object the provision of a device of this character, whereby the operator of the railway conveyance can readily announce the names of the approaching stations or streets to the occupants of the conveyance so that they will at all times be aware of their exact location.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a casing having a sight opening adapted to have moved in register therewith, names of streets or stations occurring along the line of travel of the con veyance and as the conveyance approaches, the respectlve streets or stations, the nametliereof will be visible through the sight opening so that the occupants of the conveyance may readily determine the name of the next approaching street or station.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a ribbon or apron having names of streets or stations occurring alongthe line of travel of the conveyance printed or otherwise applied thereon and which apron or ribbon is mounted upon a pair of relatively spaced rollers adapted to be wound from one roller to the other and passed in rear of the sight opening of the casing so that the names of the streets or stations may be viewed by the occupants of the conveyance as the respective streets or stations are approached. i

A further object of this invention is the provision of a novel form of operating means located in convenient reach of the operator of the conveyance and so connected with the belt, or ribbon supporting drum that they can beactuated in either direction so that the device can be operated to move the names of the streets or stations in view through the sight opening in the casin A still further object of this invention is the provision of a street or station indicator of the above stated character, which 18 simple, durable and efficient, and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

lVith these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the descrip tion proceeds, the invention consists in cer tain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a street or station indicator applied to a fragmentary portion of a railway conveyance shown in vertical section,

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the de vice,

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, illustrating means for operating the ribbon or belt in either direction,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line l-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of the device taken on the line 5-5 of Fig ure 4c, 4

Figure 6 is a detail view illustrating the end of the ribbon or belt supporting rollers,

F igure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 77 of Figure '6,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-'8- of Figure 3, illus trating specifically the means for reversing the operation of the device,

Figure 9 is a detail view partly in sec tion taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 1,

Figure 10 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1010 of Figure 5, illustrating the means for preventing reverse operation and which will permit of reverse opera tion of the device when desired,

Figure 11 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 1111 of Figure 5,

Figure 12 is a detail view illustrating a portion of the operating means, I

Figure 13 is a plan view partly in section of a ratchet controlling lever.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 1 indicates a substantially cylin drical' casing, which is adapted to be secured at any. convenient point, within a. railway conveyance 2, preferably, at one endadjacent the top thereof as shown in Figure 1. The substantially cylindrical casing 1 is provided with an offset housing-3 for the purpose of receiving a master gear and.

drive shaft, which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The casing 1 at a point opposite the offset housingor "portion 3, is provided; with. an opening, which-extendsthe'entire width of the casing and has the edges of the walls thereof so bentasto form. guide flanges 4; The guide flanges 4 are adapted to slidably receive a closureslide 6. One end wall of the-casing 1 is of a greater height than the Othfih at the point of the opening asfshown at? for. thepurpose of forming a stop. The closure slide 6 is ,adaptedtobe inserted within the guides 4 from one end of the casing; The closure sllde 6 and abuts the stop 7. 1s..prov1ded,w1th a sight opening closed by a glass panel-8, whereby, names ofstations and, streets'moved 1n, rear ofthesight opening.

may be viewed by the occupants of the conveyance.

A. frame consisting of inner and outer plates-9. and 10 lslocated in one end. ofthe casing 1 and the outer plate is provided with suitable brackets, which are securedto the walls of the casing 1 by fasteners 11. inner. and outer plates 9 and -10are relatively spaced and have journaled therein, upper and lower stub shafts 12, which stub shafts extend through the plates. of the frame. Asimilar, frame 13 is located inthe other end of the casingl and.secured-there: in, in. a manner similar to the before described'frame and has journaled therein, the

upper and lower stub shafts 12. The inner; ends of the stubshafts 12 are provided-with reducedsquared extensions-l4; which cooperate with squared reduced ends upon;

ribbon or. beltsupporting shafts 16,,which extend across the casing l in, spaced rela tionythereto. The shafts 16 are provided with 1 screwthreaded apertures adj acent, each end thereof for the purpose of receivin screws 17. The reduced extensions-14v an 15 of the stub shafts 12 and ribbon or supporting shafts .16-are held together by a substantially Ueshape d spring clasp 18, as. shown in Figiire. 7, whereby theshafts 16 maybe readily detached from; the stub. shafts 12' when desired, andlater. removed from the caslng 1 by way. of the openlng thereofby removing the slide or closure 6.

A ribbon or belt 19-has. itsends securedto the shafts 16 by plates 20 which are secured to the shafts over the ends of theribbon or, belt, by thescrews or fasteners 17, whereby the belt or ribbon maybe removed and replaced uponthe shafts 16 when desired. The ribbon or belt 19has printed or otherwise. applied thereon in spaced rela- The tion, names of streets or stations occurring along the route or, line of travelzof the-railway conveyance. The ribbon or belt 19 is adapted to be wound from one shaft 16 to the-othersl1aft-and when moving from one shaft to. the other, it passes over guide rollers 21 journaled to the casing 1 adjacent the sight. opening so that, the names of the streets and stations will be disposed rearwardly ,of the glass panel- 8... The stubshaftsy 12.

versing; gears 30, and 31irespectively. The:

reversing, gears and 31"are. normally. urged in mesh-witlrthe.gearw25andthe intermediate gear 27 by springs 32. The outerends of the stub-shafts :28 and,29. project through the end wall of-the casingl ad.- jacent earsw33 i carried by the. casing, The ears.- 33 have pivoted thereto, reversing levers :34 and. 35 which .are each provided. with cam. faces. 36' adapted .toengage the ends of the slidable stnb shafts 2.8 and.29, whereby when the reversing leversare in SLlbStZLH-r. tially horizontah position,.they, permit the reversing gears-30 and 31to nieslrwith the gears. 25-and 27 under the influence ofthe springs 32;. By. swinging the levers. 34to a substantially verticalposition, the cam faces 36. force the stuh shafts28and 29 toslide against, the tension of the springs; 32, disengagingthe reversinggears. thereon from engagement with thegears 2.5 and 2'- owing to theflcam faces 3'6,upon the reversing levers 34 and 35,.they willinormally. remain. either. in. substantially verticalposition orva horizontal positionisoras to either holdthe. reversing gears inoperative or: inoperative po: sition.

An operating shaftg i. isjournaled in the offset portion 8 of thecasing 1 and has secured to one end thereof aanaster gear-3c which is, adapted to meshywith either of the reversinggears 30 or l according' to which: gearv occupies an operative position. The. outer end ofthe operating shaft 37 extends exteriorlv of the. casing and is squared, having secured thereto. a curved arm 39.. The curvedarm-39 has piyotally secnredthereto a rod- 40, which extends downwardly through; the fiooring. 41 of the car and is slidably connected to a bell'cranklever 42. The bell crank lever '42 is pivoted to a bracket 43 carried by the flooring 41 of the car. A rod 44 is pivoted to the bell crank lever 42 and extends forwardly, having a universal joint 45 on its forward end to which is connected an arm 46. The arm 46 is pivoted to an arm 47 carried by a vertical rod 48. The vertical rod 48 extends through the flooring 41 of the conveyance 2 and through the supporting brackets 49 carried by the front of the conveyance. The upper end of the vertical rod 48 is squared to receive a controller handle 50. The controller handle 50 has a hand grip 54 carrying a spring pressed pin 55 adapted to extend through auaperture in the supporting plate 49 to hold the controller handle in a normally non-operating position. The supporting plate 49 has secured thereto, a lug 56 for limiting the movement of the controller handle upon its operative stroke.

The curved arm 39 heretofore referredto as secured to the squared end of shaft 37 has a body portion 51 in which is rotatably mounted a ratchet wheel 52, 53 indicating a spring pawl that engages said ratchet wheel 52 to insure rotation thereof in one direction only.

A ratchet wheel 56 is secured to the uppermost stub shaft 12 adjacent the gear 22 and is adapted to be engaged by a pair of spring actuated dogs 57, which are pivot-ally connected to the member 58 carried by the shaft 59. The shaft 59 is journaled in one end wall of the casing 1 and has secured thereto a controlling lever 60. The controlling lever 60 has a hand grip 61 provided with a spring pressed pin adapted to engage within either of a pair of relatively spaced apertures formed in one end Wall of the easing so that either one of the dogs 57 may beheld in engagement with the ratchet wheel 56 so asto hold the device against reverse rotation when operating in one direction upon the line of travel of the conveyance 2.

A plurality of relatively spaced fingers 62 are formed upon the operating shaft 37 and are adapted to rock an arm 63 upon its pivot 64. The arm 63 extends exteriorly of the casing by way of a slot 65 and has formed upon its outer end a ball or sphere 66 adapted to hit a gong or bell 67 carried by the casing 1, so that upon movement of the operating shaft 37 to operate the device, the gong or bell 63 will be sounded, attracting the attention of the occupants of the conveyance to the device. The inner end of the arm 63 is held in close relation to the fingers 62 by a spring 68.

In operation, when the conveyance is approaching a street or station, the operator of the conveyance swings the controller handle 54 in the arc of a circle against the stop 56, rotating the shaft 48, which actuates the rod 40 through the bell crank lever 42 and rod 44. Upon movement of the rod 40 upwardly, the shaft 37 is turned. One of the reversing gears 30 or 31 is in mesh with the master gear 38 and either the gear 25 or intermediate gear 27, the ribbon or belt is so moved to cause the name of the re spective station or street to appear behind the glass panel 8. Upon the name of the street or station appearing behind the glass panel 8, the gong 67 is actuated by the fingers 62 rocking the arm 63 upon its pivot, thus attracting the attention of the occupants of the conveyance to the device. After the conveyance has reached its terminal and desires to return, the reversing gears 30 or 31 are moved in the opposite direction by the reversing levers 34 and 35 so that one reversing gear meshes with the master gear 38 while the other reversing gear is in an inoperative position. The controlling handle 60 is so turned as to disengage one dog 57 from engagement with the ratchet wheel and permits the other dog to engage the same to prevent the reverse rotation of the ribbon or belt when the controlling lever 54 is returning to its normal position after moving upon an operative stroke.

One of the stub shafts 12 extends exterior ly of the casing 1 and has secured thereto, a crank handle 71, whereby the shafts 16 may be turned in either direction for operating the device or for resetting the apron, providing the same is not operating correctly to cause the names upon the apron to agree with the approaching streets or stations.

What is claimed is:

A station indicator comprising a casing having a sight opening, frames secured within the ends of the casing, stub shafts journaled in said frames and having reduced ends, apron shafts having reduced ends on gaging the reduced ends of the stub shafts. U-shaped clamps detachably connecting the reduced ends of said shafts, an apron bearing characters carriedby said apron shafts and movable from one of said last named shafts to the other in rear of the sight opening, trains of gears connecting the stub shafts and located within the frames, a drive gear in the casing, reversing gears rotatably and slidably mounted in one of the frames and adapted to connect the gears of one of the trains to the drive gear, meansfor controlling the reversing gears, and a reversible ratchet mechanism associated with one of the stub shafts to prevent reverse operation of the device when operating in either direction.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY E. EHRENFELD.

Witnesses KARL Yosr, H. GAY Bownns. 

